1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal for connecting wires from an audio speaker to lead wires from an audio system of an entertainment appliance and, more particularly, to a new and improved terminal having a wire trap or push-in contact portion for receiving a conductor portion of a lead wire that connects the audio speaker to the audio system of the entertainment appliance and a base portion for mounting the terminal on an insulator affixed to a frame portion of the speaker.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An audio speaker used in an entertainment appliance, such as a television or a stereo, tends to have a pair of speaker wires extending out from the speaker, each of which needs to be connected to an audio system of the entertainment appliance. In order to connect the speaker wires to the audio system of the entertainment appliance, the speaker wires are often soldered to a terminal mounted on an insulator that is affixed on a frame member of the speaker. The terminal may include a base portion for affixing the terminal to the insulator. In addition, male spade terminals extend from the base portion and are adapted to receive female spade terminals that are coupled to insulated lead wires that are connected to the audio system of the entertainment appliance.
In order to attach the female spade terminals to the lead wires, the insulation along a small end portion of the insulated lead wire needs to be stripped or removed to expose a small section of the conductor in the wire. The exposed conductor portion is connected to a crimp contact section of the female spade terminal by positioning the exposed conductor portion in a crimp barrel formed between opposed wings or arms of the crimp section. When the wings are crimped into contact with the conductor, the conductor is electrically connected to the terminal. A second set of wings or arms in the crimp section of the terminal may also be crimped onto an insulated portion of the lead wire to form a strain relief for the connection.
In connecting the lead wires to the female spade terminals, a portion of the insulation on the lead wires not only has to be stripped but also the wings or arms of the terminal must then be crimped onto the exposed conductor. Consequently, it would be advantageous to eliminate the necessity of crimping a female spade terminal to the lead wires used in entertainment appliances.